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Following his first ever win as head coach, Kirby Smart praised the Chick-Fil-A kickoff and operations. Smart and the Bulldogs will return to the venue in 2020 to face Virginia. Caitlyn StrohThe Telegraph

Following his first ever win as head coach, Kirby Smart praised the Chick-Fil-A kickoff and operations. Smart and the Bulldogs will return to the venue in 2020 to face Virginia. Caitlyn StrohThe Telegraph

Georgia slated to return to Chick-Fil-A Game in 2020 to face Virginia

Georgia has been selected to return to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in four years.

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game decided to pair Georgia and Virginia for one of its opening games in 2020, which will take place Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

For Georgia, playing in this game every four-to-five years is something it has expressed interest in.

UVA associate athletics director Jon Oliver signed a term sheet to appear in the game with Georgia listed as its opponent. This document was obtained by The Telegraph in a Freedom of Information Act request in the state of Virginia. The Telegraph also requested the contract through Georgia's Open Records Act, although the university has 90 days to return any documents related to athletics.

Virginia's contract was obtained in a week.

Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity declined to comment on whether the program has signed a deal to be in the game. In an email, he did say returning to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is of interest to the program.

"We are reviewing options for future schedules and yes, we would enjoy returning to ATL sometime in the next 4-5 years," McGarity wrote.

In the contract, both teams will wear home uniforms with Georgia wearing red and Virginia donning blue. Virginia agreed to purchase 30,000 tickets for just under $4.6 million, with Peach Bowl Inc., the group that runs the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, paying Virginia a minimum of $4 million plus 100 hotel rooms.

This would be the first Labor Day game Georgia has played since 1985, when it opened that season with a 20-16 loss against Alabama. Georgia had the ensuing Saturday off before beating Baylor on Sept. 14.

Georgia also played Clemson on Labor Day in 1982 and won 13-7. The Bulldogs then had to play BYU on a short week and won 17-14.

As of now, the only other non-conference game Georgia has scheduled in 2020, outside of its annual rivalry against Georgia Tech, is against East Tennessee State. It's unknown if Georgia will play its second game on a short week or if it will have a bye.

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is expected to open the 2020 season with two games. In July, The Gazette-Mail previously reported that Florida State and West Virginia were nearing a deal to play in a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, as well.

Georgia played in this year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against North Carolina, which the Bulldogs won 33-24.